


Parhelion: A Fixated Story

by bolinski



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Choking, Drama, Eventual Smut, F/M, General Hux - Freeform, Knights of Ren - Freeform, Like a slow ass fucking burn, M/M, Original Female Character - Freeform, Sarcastic Humor, Slow Burn, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:08:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24452650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bolinski/pseuds/bolinski
Summary: The easy and routine life of Naboo Royal Guard, SN-10, is turned upside down with the appearance of the Supreme Leader, his towering Knights of Ren, and the lovely Linguist at his side. It's one thing to be drafted by the Supreme Leader of the galaxy into his employ, but it's another to be tasked with keeping the one thing he cherishes safe.D-98 as well as this specific characterization of the Knights of Ren, were created/named byLunaxxx.The Queen, Princess, and J’oa and all the royals mentioned in this chapter were named/created byLatina geek.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Reader, OC/Knight of Ren
Comments: 25
Kudos: 53





	1. Meet Your New Bodyguard

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Fixated (On Hiatus and Under Construction)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18774385) by [Lunaxxx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunaxxx/pseuds/Lunaxxx). 



> _Some emotions do expose the truth._   
>  [Heroine](https://open.spotify.com/track/3kXhS1hygogYu1DqQvfg7C?si=G29NRpkmS-SyXuiDfPEXMw)

****

Bright light filtered in through the windows, flowers in the garden of the Theed Royal Palace on Naboo gently swaying in the breeze.

Bored, brown eyes watched herself in the mirror, dress being tied and fixed to her body for her by a handmaiden. SN-10 sighed for the umpteenth time. She was a member of the Naboo Royal Guard, though she mainly followed the princess as protection detail.

“There… almost got it.” The handmaiden at her back mumbled, fingers deftly tucking in pieces of fabric so that the dress would not impede motion from the legs. “See? The Princess has such good taste, don’t you think?” It was a routine she and the handmaidens had down to a science. 

Every morning, before the princess awoke, the handmaidens would dress in their matching gowns and would assist SN-10 with her altered version - usually something of similar style and cut with altered length and trousers so she could run if she needed to.

SN-10 hummed her response, a simple sound. In truth, the dress was lovely. A deep red color with gold trim that would accentuate the features of the wearer. It almost matched the dresses of the handmaidens with the exception of less fabric and no train. The princess would be wearing a gorgeous gold and red gown of her own for when the First Order arrived. 

And the Supreme Leader.

“SN-10!” A deep voice called from outside of the room, causing all of the handmaidens to jump. 

She quickly left the group of young women and exited the room, taking her place in the hallway where an expectant Royal footman awaited her. “Report.” She said.

“The First Order ship has landed and the Duke is currently greeting them. The Supreme Leader has a small entourage of his own, and they’re-” The young man stopped, his voice suddenly dropping as his eyes focused on something far away, distracted.

“Yes?” she prompted.

The footman cleared his throat, “They’re huge. And terrifying.”

She tsked, eyes narrowing, “Anything of importance to report?” 

“Ah-yes… sorry. Only…”

A beat, “Only..?”

“One of the entourage manhandled the Queen in the southern hall… and she did not allow the guards to remove him!” 

SN-10’s brow twitched at the info. If the Queen allowed a stranger to openly accost her in her own palace… something was off, or at least out of the norm for these visitors. “And what of tonight's agenda?”

“The Duke is having the Supreme Leader sit down to dinner with the royal family and negotiations will begin early tomorrow, I believe. The Queen will be sitting in for dinner, along with the Princess, but the Duke demanded that her handmaidens not attend.” 

“And my station?” SN-10 watched him carefully - sweat beaded on his brow, his eyes scanned the spaces above her shoulders, avoiding her gaze. _Ah, great._ She mentally mused.

“You will stay your post, but not attend the meal.” 

“Hm.” A beat, then, “Thank you for the report. I will escort the handmaidens to the Princess now.”

The footman nodded and turned on his heel, the soft tap-tapping of his shoes fading as he walked down the long Theed Palace halls.

SN-10 knew that Duke Praji was only hosting the Supreme Leader and the First Order in hopes of gaining some sort of affiliation that would boost his standing in the current power climate, especially since Naboo had been historically defiant to both the Empire and First Order, respectively. This meant that whatever talks made during dinner would be a careful dance to orchestrate negotiations of peace, or something feebly similar. It also meant that she would have to stand behind the princesses chair and watch her eat a full coursed meal without so much as a glass of water for herself - until the princess went to bed and she could creep back to the kitchen for a morsel or two of leftovers. 

She opened the door to the handmaiden’s room, “Are you ladies ready to escort the princess to dinner?” SN-10 asked and the handmaidens filed out, agreeing as they lined up in the hallway. “As you say.” 

\--

Princess J’olyne was a sight, to be sure, with her long, plaited hair, woven intricately with metal rings and glittering strings. Her tanned features were a warm contrast to her golden trimmed, deep red gown that had a train that dragged between the handmaidens as they made their way through the palace halls. At the very rear was SN-10. 

Known to the handmaidens and the royal family as SN-10, the assigned serial name given to her on the day of her enlistment into the royal academy, she was a quiet fixture that needed no introduction during visits from dignitaries or political leaders. Her station was to observe, protect, and stay out of sight as much as possible (though she felt that was near _impossible_ due to the princesses insistence on wearing matching dresses with her entourage). She started out as a foot soldier, standing post in the gardens and hallways of the Theeds Royal Palace, but quickly moved up in rank to guarding the front door and was then promoted to standing guard at the dining room. It was a few years after this that she was tasked to protect the royal princess.

To the guards, and her captain, she was known as the Sentinel. 

Silent, ready, always watching, and always steadfastly behind the princess and her cooing handmaidens. Tonight the handmaidens would dine in the secondary hall where the servants ate, while SN-10 would stand guard within the main hall where the royal family and their guests would eat. 

She wasn’t bitter or angry at the prospect of watching the princess and the others during their meal, quite the opposite. She prided herself on her devotion and loyalty to the well being of the princess, but didn’t like the idea of having skipped her own lunch because she thought she’d be eating dinner soon. _Ah well_.

Brixti, the head handmaiden to the princess, bowed when they reached the large doors of the main dining hall, “We will return to collect you once the night is over, my lady.” With this she led the other handmaidens away to the secondary hall.

As soon as the handmaidens had walked away, the Queen appeared with her royal guards and handmaidens. The handmaidens quickly took their leave, but the guards lined up at the large double doors to the main dining hall and opened them with a loud _crack_. If there had been conversation filling the room before, it had ceased with their debut into the room.

The guards lined up along the walls, taking their posts, and SN-10 stayed a few arms lengths away from the princess, keeping her position behind her as always. 

A quick, formal introduction was given of the royal family, of the princess and the queen. Next was the introduction, by way of the Duke, of the First Order General and the Supreme Leader as well as his Master of Linguistics. A few choice words were had between the parties, all political bullshit SN-10 didn’t give attention to, though she couldn’t help but inwardly roll her eyes at the scene before her. 

The Duke was busy stuffing his foot in his mouth and the General was busy trying to be too casual with the queen. So far the only person in the room worth a second glance was the Master of Linguistics, with her quiet, respectful words and tasteful gown. SN-10 watched her carefully, eyes never staying on the woman’s form for more than a few seconds, but she was impressed. 

There was little mention of the six hulking figures who stood idly by at the end of the table, their shoulders collectively spanning across its own galaxy. SN-10 wondered why they were allowed to stay and why they hadn’t been dismissed to the secondary dining hall.

“And who might these gentlemen be, Supreme Leader?” The queen nodded to the six men who loomed on the other side of the room so that all eyes turned to them. 

“They are the Knights of Ren.” The Supreme Leader stated, “ _My_ knights.” A heavy silence filled the room.

The Duke made a point to clear his throat with effort. “Come, then! Let us eat! I myself am famished.” He hurried to the end of the table, waving his hands out in a grand sweeping gesture. “Please, please, have a seat.”

At the far end of the table, the Knights had shoved and squeezed themselves into a row of seats, masses of black now hunched and ready for their food. _Blundering fools_. There was a strange commotion at the other end of the table, but SN-10 didn’t give it attention until she realized how displaced the royal family suddenly was. At the head of the table, Duke Praji was being shuffled to the side - the Master of Linguistics was seated in the spot the princess typically sat, with the Supreme Leader taking the Queen’s seat and the General occupying the Duke’s usual chair. If SN-10 hadn’t practiced keeping her composure for the last ten years then she would have laughed at the absurdity of the entire situation. 

Dinner was… awkward. 

Conversation was stunted, the earlier commotion on seating arrangements had truly set the tone for the next hour or so and there was mild talk of politics and the coming negotiations. Most of the conversation was headed by the Duke, while the General, a pale and thin man, sat by with a bored expression on his face. She continued to sneak glances at the Linguist, with her beautiful, caring face and gentle features - she seemed happy enough to sit and listen to the conversation around the table. SN-10 also had a great view of the Knights, all of which were facing her and easy on the eyes. 

Princess J’olyne decided to show her brain power when she began rambling about flowers. _Fucking flowers, always flowers,_ SN-10 could name every flower on the planet because of the girl’s obsession with the royal gardens. The topic of marriage, which the princess did absolutely love, seemed to put the Linguist on edge, distressing her. SN-10 could tell the woman was starting to recoil from the conversation, when a voice piped in. 

“Wait. Are we talking about flowers?” One of the knights quipped. “Because I _love_ flowers. I could just talk about flowers all day!” He let out an exaggerated, obnoxious sigh. “Flowers, flowers, flowers! Gee, just saying the word makes me _so_ happy!”

_Ass_ , SN wanted to snap his finger backwards, but the princess would have no idea that he was mocking her. When the princess spoke next she was just as obliviously excited as before. _That’s fine, then_ , SN thought as she relaxed and averted her eyes back to the table.

The General decided now was a good time to intervene, pulling the entire conversation to the true agenda at hand - negotiations. Here SN-10 stood a little straighter, as tensions would surely rise and she needed to be at attention and at the ready.

But negotiations went by faster than the introductions had. Queen Alveria was staunch in her request for the protection of her people, and her promises of loyalty and the use of the plasma mines of the planet were all it took to end the palpable animosity that had plagued the table for the last hour. 

Dessert was served and conversation seemed to flow easily from that point on. Both the General and the Duke continued to try and out maneuver each other with boastful words. The others around the table seemed to be along for the ride.

The Duke prattled on about the loyalty and love Naboo soldiers had for the royal family, to which General Hux sneered a quick remark, “Oh, I don’t doubt it, Duke Praji.” He took another sip of his whiskey, which had been refilled repeatedly during the last course. “I’m sure all forty-three of your men are just _so very_ loyal.”

Duke Praji bristled, shoulders hitching up as if he was trying to make himself look bigger, more intimidating. “Four _thousand,_ thank you, and yes - they’re all _fiercely_ loyal. Not because we have big, shiny weapons, or those _dreadful_ dreadnoughts, or because we fly around the galaxy making the most noise, but because they have a kind, benevolent leader,” he said, spit flying from his mouth. “One that the people can _trust._ It’s as simple as that.”

“Loyal?” The Supreme Leader’s voice broke the conversation, submerging the room into silence. Not a sound was made as the Duke blinked back his surprise, the General seemed disgruntled at the interruption, and the Linguist kept her eyes trained on the Supreme Leader, a spoon pressed tightly between her lips. “Loyal to you, or loyal to anyone who buys them?” 

_“Buys_ them?” Praji scoffed, outwardly offended, his face started to turn an embarrassing shade of red. “Pardon me, Supreme Leader, but nobody could buy the type of loyalty found here. It is _earned,”_ SN stiffened, her eyes locking with the Duke’s as he motioned towards her, “Take SN-10, for example. She has been with us for over ten years, and she would fall on her own sword if Princess J’olyne asked her to.”

It was the truth, though SN hated the fact that he’d used her as the example of what loyalty looked like. She would do anything to protect the princess, it was her sworn duty, one she’d uphold until she was either dismissed or killed in the line of that duty. 

There was a heavy moment of silence as the Supreme Leader seemed to process this, though by the shifting of those around the table it seemed like a silent conversation was taking place. 

“Tell me, Duke Praji: if I commanded one of my knights to attack one of your _benevolent_ royals, would your guards defend them, or would they abide by their Supreme Leader’s order?” The Supreme Leader kept his gaze fixed on the Duke, no emotion giving any indication to his sincerity on the subject. 

“I… well, I-” The Duke was looking to the Supreme Leader and then to the General, obviously at a loss. 

Then the Supreme Leader shifted, his right hand barely leaving the edge of the table as it lifted. One of his Knights stood, fist gripping a table knife like it was an eleventh finger, natural and comfortable. The Linguist, for all that it mattered, gave a soft whisper of disagreement, but she was ignored. The Knight stalked forward and SN-10 could already feel her adrenaline kick in - his trajectory was obvious. The Supreme Leader bent his fingers inward and the Knight went into action, feet moving and hand raising above the princesses head, her eyes upturned and mouth parting to let out a yelp of surprise. 

There was a sharp twang of metal as SN-10’s sword curved in, sloping the knife down and away from the princess to clatter on the dining hall floor, and then back up to hover beneath the neck of the Knight. She knew it was her own undoing, the sword in her hand poised to slit his throat, blade pressed against his skin, with the Knight’s outstretched hand around her wrist, his other hand squeezing her airway. 

Multiple gasps and yells suddenly filled the room from varying attendees. The General was barking something to the Knight, a command that fell on deaf ears, the Linguist was saying something under her breath to the Supreme Leader, but she was getting no response, and the Duke sputtered and attempted to regain control, though nothing he commanded was executed by the rest of the guard who stood still as stone, stuck in shock. The princess was screaming, flute-voice reaching octaves only rathtars could hear, while her mother yanked her from her seat and hurried them out of the hall.

SN-10 had been a member of the royal guard for more than ten years; had been the personal guard for the royal Princess J’olyne Alveria for the last five and not once did she think she’d get taken out by a tree of a man with mischievous eyes. 

_I’m going to die at the hands of a man who giggles when making fun of girls and flowers_. SN felt the aching pain in her head from being suffocated, her lungs screaming for air. 

“Enough.” The Supreme Leader sat back in his chair and let out a small breath, his Knight unmoving. “ _Shiro_.” The Knight gave a gentle grunt, his fingers slowly easing up on her throat. “And you - lower your weapon,” the Supreme Leader directed this towards her, and slowly she complied, the blade lowering ever so slowly to match the pace of the Knight. “Besides this one here, it seems to me that your guards are not as loyal as you thought,” He said, waving his gloved hand in SN-10’s direction. 

None of the guards had moved to help the queen or the princess… SN-10 would have been stunned, had she not almost died.

A few words were exchanged between the remaining guests, SN not included. 

Duke Praji was trying to save what little face he could, “Is there… is there anything else I can do for you?”

She knew she would have a slight bruise by morning and a massive headache, but she counted her lucky stars to have been shown mercy by the Supreme Leader. Her blade was sheathed when she felt steady enough to move around, but before she could make her exit and track down the queen and princess, she heard the words that would forever change her life…

“Yes.” He nodded. “We will be taking SN-10 here back to the Finalizer.” The Supreme Leader nodded SN-10’s direction before turning to his Linguist. “Say hello to your new bodyguard, Scholar.”


	2. The Most Cherished Woman in the Galaxy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SN-10 steps onto the Finalizer and into her role as a bodyguard where she navigates through her new life following around the most cherished woman in the galaxy.
> 
> You can now check out SN-10 [here ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1plZOKDQ5kL1EJOY-P8QMojURWVLRZV5ocj5u60M_wHo/edit?usp=sharing).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't need the world to see  
> That I've been the best I can be  
> [Francis Forever](https://open.spotify.com/track/6gpSU2C1VJq0xaVIGtQPVi?si=8yhm-L01RGC5lNBYyZYsqw).

****

The Supreme Leader wasted no time in having SN-10’s position at the palace dissolved and her new position within his employ established. She immediately turned in her royal guard uniform as well as any other belongings not exclusively hers to the palace armory. There was little time to say farewell to the princess and the handmaidens, not that they cared about her leaving... The princess, unlike the Queen, had never given SN-10 much thought besides matching outfits, and the handmaidens saw her as a fixture instead of a comrade. She had no one else to say goodbye to, as her only living family was on Starkiller Base, so she left her tiny bunk behind and quickly reported to the First Order shuttle to depart the planet and join the Supreme Leader’s entourage.

_ From one princess to another _ , she thought as she climbed the shuttle ramp and found her place within, recalling the pretty face of the linguist,  _ Scholar _ , as the Supreme Leader had called her.

Little did she know, this would be one of the most dangerous chapters of her life. 

\--

“You’ll like the Finalizer. It’s beautiful, in its own way.” The Linguist, D-98 as she was introduced during their shuttle ride back to the First Order cruiser, whispered to her as she waited for the shuttle ramp to drop. The journey through space took little time at all, but in that time SN-10 was able to learn quite a bit about her new charge. “I-,” D-98 fiddled with the hem of her uniform blouse, feet shuffling closer as the ramp slowly descended. “Did they make you cut your hair?” She asked, wide eyes scanning SN-10’s freshly trimmed strands, hot-ironed straight and parted down the middle of her scalp. 

Very different from her actual hair texture, which was wildy wavy and naturally dishevelled. 

She watched the other woman’s face intently. “No, miss,” she responded, mouth turning up into a small smile, “It was my choice.” 

And it was. SN-10 had been instructed to grow her hair out by the head handmaiden within the first week of guarding the princess. Princess J’olyne preferred handmaidens, and her guard, apparently, to have long hair that could be braided, twisted, and intricately woven into updo’s; SN-10 was no exception. Now that she was no longer in that employ, she was able to cut it to her desired length, which was just below her shoulders. She’d chopped it off the moment she’d returned to her tiny bunk in order to pack up her belongings at the palace… it wasn’t pretty by any means and she would clean up the cut later, but for now this would do.

Now it was long enough to pull into a bun or ponytail and with some length to style if the need ever arose, but short enough not to be a nuisance - or heavy. She wouldn’t have to worry about shower time anymore, since she no longer had the length to rinse, and she’d never again find lost baubles or trinkets in the tangled nest of strands after a long night of watching the princess dance with strangers. 

“Oh-I’m so glad! I was afraid it was a punishment, or something.” D-98’s concern touched SN-10. She was glad to be watching over such a genuinely kind person, even if it meant having to stand shoulder to shoulder with knights as big as Wookies. 

The bright light from the hangar made her wince, eyes blurring for a moment as her memory flashed before her of a garden through open windows.

“First, a debriefing!” General Hux all but bounced down the ramp once it finally touched down, his boots thudding with each step as he hurried out of the shuttle and beelined it for one of the hangar doors leading into the Finalizer’s many hallways. 

D-98 and SN-10 would not need to attend the debriefing, so she followed behind her new charge through the hangar and towards a main lift. 

D-98 was kind enough to show her around for a while, her instruction and gentle laugh when SN-10 bluntly said,  _ ‘I’m going to get lost and starve to death on my way to the cafeteria…’ _ was a nice change to what she was used to. 

“You won’t, I’ll show you, and you can always ask me for help if you get turned around.” D-98 had said.

SN wanted to point out that she would probably never get lost, anyway, since she’d be following her around as her personal protection from here on out, but let it go. If anything, she would learn about the Finalizer’s many hallways within a week, or at least about the areas that would be her main concern, i.e. the main pathways D-98 took as well as any sector she would ever find herself in either for work, training, or leisure. The rest of the ship she could memorize by looking at maps. 

“Thank you, miss, that’s great to hear.”

“Anyway, I was told your room would be close to mine, so that’s where we’re heading now. I want to change and then maybe grab something to eat. Do you want to come with me? I can show you the cafeteria and with any luck a friend of mine might be there. It’s around dinner time, so he should be around.”

“What friend, miss?”

“You can call me D-98, or Dee. Or DeDe, as my friend - Kip - calls me. He’s a stormtrooper.” 

“I see. Do you have many friends aboard the Finalizer, miss?”

“Just Kip, and the Knights. And Kylo.” D-98 stopped in front of a door at the end of a long hallway, her hands fiddling with the hem of her uniform blouse again. “And really, please call me by any of those names and nicknames, it’s really alright.”

“As you say, miss.”

“Come  _ on _ .” D-98 groaned, but she had a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

“Is this my room?” SN-10 asked, changing the subject. She didn’t mind calling the other woman by her assigned name, or any of the nicknames she used, but there was a time and place for such things, in her mind, and she liked the way D-98 fretted about being called ‘miss’. 

“Ah-yes! I’m just over there,” she pointed to a door further down and across the hall. “You can stop by any time.” 

The placements were perfect, especially if she needed to quickly run to D-98’s quarters to grab or shield her. “Should I stop by your room in about an hour so that we can visit the cafeteria?” 

“That sounds great; I’ll meet you in an hour.” D-98 bounced on the balls of her feet for a moment, as if she wanted to say something more, but decided against it, then she turned and hurried to her own door and gave a short wave before disappearing into her quarters. 

“As you say, miss.” SN-10 murmured before keying into her own quarters, silently smiling to herself. D-98 would be a great charge; she seemed level headed, kind, and very friendly. Not a troublemaker at all, and definitely not stubborn.

Calculating eyes appraised her assigned quarters as soon as she walked in. The space was much larger than what she had back in the royal palace, though the decor and overall layout were vastly different. The palace was made to look regal; strong foundations, yet soft in places with arches and pillars that were made of Naboo’s natural stone. The entire palace was warm, bright, and covered in native flowers and comforting paints. 

The Finalizer seemed cold in comparison, with its geometric patterns, sharp lines, and metallic finishes. Every surface held a different hum, not unlike the palace on Naboo, though the hum within the palace was from gentle breezes and the sing-song shuffling of long fabrics. The Finalizer had a hum of machinery, of the dense quiet of space and circulated air, of the uniformed footfalls of soldiers trained to think as one unit. 

SN-10’s data pad gave a soft chirp as it received a message and after scrolling through a few missed notifications she straightened, eyes scanning the message over and over again. The Supreme Leader wanted her to report to him personally the following morning to receive her responsibilities and expectations. He would be giving her a long list of duties, she was sure, but that would be a good thing. The more detailed he was, the better, since it left little room for interpretation on her end. 

“0600? I don’t know how to get there.” She tsked at her data pad and then sighed, setting it onto the table that sat nearest her kitchenette and then made her way through the rest of the space to investigate. 

Everything was clean, orderly, simple, and just a touch out of reality for her. She ran her hands over the bed, the solid fabric of the comforter and the smooth surface of the nightstand.  _ With time this will become my home. I just need to acclimate,  _ she mused as she took everything in.

For the remainder of the hour, SN-10 spent her time unpacking the few things she brought with her from the palace and then sent off a quick holo-message to her younger brother informing him of the station change she was put through. He’d no doubt be ecstatic about her being on a First Order ship, and would probably shit himself when he realized she was on  _ the _ Finalizer. 

\--

D-98 was basically bouncing out of her skin when SN-10 greeted her at her door an hour later. Their brisk walk to the cafeteria, after taking a long lift ride down, was filled with conversation, mostly by D-98. SN-10 wondered how often she was allowed to ramble like this with others and figured that if her only friends were the Supreme Leader, six trees, and a lone stormtrooper, then she was probably starved for conversation.  _ I’m glad she feels comfortable enough to talk to me like this. I like hearing her voice.  _ Definitely no mention of flowers.

But then again… most of the topics covered were of the places D-98 had been so far since she started her job on the Finalizer as an interpreter for the Supreme Leader and General Hux. It was an important role, SN-10 could see that, but why she would need extra protection when the expeditions she went on usually had more than enough of that… then came the story about Umbara. 

“It was terrifying, to say the least, but Kylo and the Knights came for me, saved me-”

“They personally went back for you?” SN-10 caught herself and bowed her head quickly, “Sorry, miss, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I would have never guessed that the Supreme Leader was so dedicated to the safety of his people. It truly speaks to his leadership.”

“Oh don’t worry about it. And please, call me anything other than miss.” 

“I could call you ‘mistress’, if you prefer.” SN-10 gave D-98 a teasing smirk, lips quirked up slightly as she waited for her answer.

“No way, anything but that! Miss is fine… for now. But sooner or later you’re going to call me Dee, like the others do, just you wait.” 

SN-10 liked her - very much. She was strong-willed, kind, and light-hearted, giving her an air of importance that she probably had no idea she carried. “As you say.” 

“Do you have a nickname?” 

The question caught her off guard as they entered the cafeteria, her mind going back to the only nickname she ever had. “Sentinel. But that was used by my captain back on Naboo. If you’re comfortable using that, then please do.” 

“Sentinel?” 

“My assigned name is SN-10, which was loosely nicknamed Sentinel. Like Dee, from D-98.”

“I get it, but I’d rather call you something else, you know? Sentinel just seems so… so…”

She knew what D-98 was trying to convey, but had no other nickname that seemed suitable. “You can call me whatever you like, miss. The decision is yours. Shall we?” SN-10 nodded to the few empty tables nearest them and they chose a spot to sit. 

While they ate,  _ ‘I wish it was spaghetti night again… they have the best spaghetti!’  _ D-98 had gushed, SN-10 got to hear more about her exploits. Her relationship with the Knights and the Supreme Leader were deeper than what she originally thought, which changed things a little. If the Supreme Leader had truly hired her to watch the back of his interpreter, well, that was one thing, but to guard the person he was dating? His girlfriend? That was a tauntaun of a different color. Not only that, but it seemed that D-98 was more strong willed than she seemed. And stubborn. And passionate.  _ Free willed and free spirited, _ SN thought as she listened to the other woman talk.

She tried not to smile - she was used to following around a woman who would never act out on her emotions, but D-98 seemed to be the exact opposite of that. She had her own moral compass that pointed her this way and that and her own mind that she was not afraid to speak out on… SN-10 knew she was in for a rough ride, but she would learn D-98’s habits and quirks and it would be fine. 

She hoped.

They never did run into D-98’s friend, the stormtrooper, but right around the time they agreed on grabbing some dessert the six Knights of Ren casually stepped into the cafetera. D-98 waved a hand, her smile wide and open as she beckoned the knights over. 

“We’ve already eaten, but we’re going to get dessert.” D-98 told them as they came near.

SN-10 sat silently as D-98 conversed with the group of men quickly, a few of them breaking away to grab plates of food while a couple hung back. “I’ll grab your pudding, miss.” SN said and quietly stood from her seat, but not before one of the men spoke - Shiro, as she remembered - directly to her.

“Hey, no hard feelings or anything, about...” He said, hand waving around his own neck.

_ Hm _ . “I understand. You were following your orders. I was following mine.”

“Yeah, we had our orders.” He held out a big hand to her, palm upturned as he waited for hers.

“As you say.” SN-10 gripped his palm and shook it once, his own hand dwarfing hers. “I’ll be back shortly, miss.” She said once her hand was her own again and then quickly made her way to the dessert cart. As she strode away she flexed her fingers, stretching them and ridding herself of the burn of his skin.

“I knew the royal guard would be stuck-ups, but she’s something else.” Shiro plopped into a seat next to Mika, who was first to return with his plate of food. “Hey! I thought you were grabbing mine!?”

“I did-” Mika nodded to an empty plate, “I ate it.” 

D-98 smiled at their interaction and then sighed, eyes turning towards SN-10’s figure as she perused the different puddings available. “I still don’t understand why Kylo had you attack that princess… it was a little over the top.”

The other knights began to slowly file back and take their seats at the table.

“It was a test.” Both Shiro and Mika spoke at once, then Mika added, “He wanted to see where their true allegiance was. For the First Order, it doesn’t really matter: troops will follow orders given to them no matter what and they rarely defect. But for what he needed…” He gave a long look at D-98 and then frowned, “She went against the Supreme Leader of the galaxy, which means she’ll protect you from anything-even the First Order.”

A beat, then, “Why would I need to be protected from the First Order..?” 

Mika and Shiro shared a heavy glance before Shiro said, “He just means that she’ll protect you regardless of who may or may not attack you. It was just an example. Anyway, I guess I should get _my_ _dinner_ , since you so kindly _ate mine_.” He gave a swift kick under the table to Mika and then stood to grab his own food.

SN-10 returned with two bowls of pudding and set one down in front of D-98, then took her own seat and settled in. The atmosphere at the table felt tense, thick, but D-98 gave nothing away as she slowly began to eat her dessert. She gave SN-10 a quick smile and a soft ‘thank you’ but otherwise stayed relatively silent for the rest of their time in the cafeteria.

Conversation came in the form of the six knights introducing themselves, one-by-one, and after a few minutes things seemed to relax and flow, which was probably because of D-98’s ability to turn awkward situations into natural, comfortable encounters. SN-10 really did like her. 

\-- 

“Night guys! I’ll see you later.” D-98 bid the group of knights farewell when she and SN-10 had finished their desserts.

Their walk back to their quarters was quiet, yet comfortable, though SN-10 could feel the anxiety rolling off of D-98’s shoulders. “I have a short briefing tomorrow at 0600 hours with the Supreme Leader, but I will return later in the morning to escort you to breakfast, if you’d like.” SN offered.

“SN-10?” D-98’s voice was small, hushed, and careful. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, miss.”

“Princess J’olyne... were you friends with her? I know you were her personal guard for a long time.” She hesitated, then added, “I was wondering if you two had become more than just a Princess and her ‘Sentinel’.”

“No.” SN-10’s response was immediate. “We were nothing more than a Princess and a royal guard.” A stretch of silence rang through the hallway. “But I don’t think that will be the case with you, miss.”

“Really? Why?”

“Because you remind me of my mother.” 

D-98’s eyes widened, and for a moment she seemed like she wanted to ask for more details, for more insight into what that meant, but thought better of it. Instead she nodded and turned to her door. “Goodnight, SN-10.”

“Goodnight, miss.”

That night, SN-10 tossed and turned in her bed, mind buzzing with disbelief from the fact that she admitted to D-98 that she reminded her of her mother. It was the truth, but why she had actually admitted it… she felt stupid, wreckless, and totally unprofessional. It hadn’t even been a full 24 hours on the Finalizer and already she felt closer to D-98 than she ever did to the princess, or to anyone from the past two decades of her life. 

She had entered the Royal Academy around ten years old, taking the normal arithmetics, literature, and arts classes offered for younger students and quickly transferred to the guard training programme. Within those years she made few friends, and as time went on she made fewer and fewer. Even after graduating and living amongst the handmaidens for years, she never befriended them. It was safer, easier to be a figment within their lives rather than a friend or confidant. 

Even when her mother died, she didn’t tell a soul. The only friend she had was her brother, really. Qae-Lin was younger than her by a few years and they had a short childhood together, but she hadn’t seen him in so long and she wasn’t even sure when she’d see him next. 

A soft ‘ping’ emanated from her data pad and when she took a quick look she huffed. A message from her brother,  _ speak of the hutt. _ She opened the message and read through it, gave a soft snort and then tossed the pad aside and flopped onto her back. Within minutes she was asleep, breath evening out as she lulled into a deep slumber. 

On her data pad her brother had messaged back that he was envious of her position, and signed off with  _ ‘Can’t believe you got promoted to the fucking FINALZER without ever enlisting into the First Order, you old shit. Love, Qae-Lin. Your brother who actually works for the First Order and has never even seen the Finalzer.’ _

\--

Nerves weren’t really a thing SN-10 felt, not in the sense she was sure others did. Meeting the Supreme Leader was like meeting any other person, except he could end her life with a snap of his fingers - if he could snap with gloves on. She made her way through the Finalizer with this in mind, boots softly ‘thunk-thunking’ on the tiles as she entered into the main office area where most of the higher ranking generals and captains convened for planning and meetings. 

There was a woman milling about the empty space with blonde hair and a stern face - she seemed bored when SN approached her. “Excuse me, I’m here to meet with the Supreme Leader.” SN-10 waited for a response.

“You can go in.” A strong voice stated from behind her, and out of the office marched a captain clad in chrome armor. 

SN motioned to bow her head, but the captain stomped right by her and left the area with a flurry of a long cape.

“Ah, SN-10, was it? Please enter.” General Hux stood at the entry to the office and waved her inside.

“Thank you, sir. I was-” Her eyes shifted to the looming figure of the Supreme Leader as she entered the office, his eyes trained on her as she crossed the threshold. “Forgive me, Supreme Leader.” She quickly bowed her head and bent at the waist, her right arm bent at the elbow and across her abdomen as she gave him her respect. 

“Rise.” The Supreme Leader’s voice seemed amused, though she couldn’t be sure. “You’ll be pleased to hear that you’re highly sought-after.” 

SN-10 stood up straight, her eye twitching from the remark. She wasn’t sure if it was a serious statement, a joke, or some sort of jab, but she kept her expression as collected as possible. “Sir?”

“General Hux was just telling me how envious he was that I was able to procure you first - before he was.” 

Behind his desk, the General scoffed. “I merely meant that a soldier with such resolve would better benefit the First Order, rather than your personal agenda.”

“You can ask Phasma to be your personal guard, but neither you nor she will gain this soldier. This one will be assigned to D-98 and no one else.” 

SN-10 could feel the tension between the two men and desperately wondered if D-98 had ever been present for their ‘discussions’. 

“Fine,” Hux all but spat, “But should she find trouble then it is your responsibility!”

“Come.” The Supreme Leader said nothing more to the General, and all SN could do was offer Hux a quick nod before she followed after the mass in black. He led her through the halls and towards a lift that looked different from the others and once inside he went over a long list of responsibilities and non-negotiable duties for her position. 

As she’d hoped, the list was detailed and methodical, just the way she liked it. SN-10 was responsible first and foremost of D-98’s safety and well-being, which included, but was not limited to, physical, mental, and emotional health. She would be D-98’s shadow unless the Supreme Leader dismissed her, and she was never to take orders from anyone else, unless  _ he _ deemed it appropriate. It was the only grey area he left up for interpretation, but she figured he’d explain at a later date should that situation ever arise. She doubted it ever would.

There were many more details and specifics of his orders:

She would have days off where she was allowed to have her own personal time, as D-98 would not need her services 24/7 (which was great since she hadn’t had a day off in a long time). 

All amenities would be available for her, as they were for D-98, within reason. Nice, since she definitely had the gym in mind and knew the Finalizer had a great library deck that she wanted to check out.

There was no formal uniform, though she was not allowed to wear First Order issued gear or any clothing that associated her with that branch unless specifically commanded to. She was allowed to wear her own clothes as long as they allowed her mobility to protect her charge and appropriately represented her employer, i.e. the Supreme Leader. He had hired her to work for him personally, which was the second most important fact about her life now: the first being that her sole purpose was to protect D-98. 

The more he went on the more SN-10 understood: he was protecting the one thing he cared about most in the galaxy. 

The Supreme Leader of the galaxy, head of the First Order and Master of the Knights of Ren, was protecting the woman that slurped up her food with a wide grin. The woman who talked with her hands when she was excited and pinched the hem of her clothes when she was anxious. The woman who could level an entire world if she asked the Supreme Leader to, and she probably didn’t even know it. 

_ Well. This job just got way more interesting. _

“This is the floor where the Knights of Ren reside - you may find yourself working alongside them from time to time. They are to be respected, but they are not allowed to act on D-98 in violence or other ways. Do you understand?” His voice held a strange tone that SN-10 couldn’t place.

“Yes, sir.” 

“Good. I have business here; you’re dismissed.” 

“Yes, Supreme Leader.” She bent in the same fashion she had in the General’s office and took the lift back down to the sector where her and D-98’s quarters were. 

After she quickly ordered a string of outfits to be transported in since she had almost nothing suitable for her new job, she turned off her data pad and stood outside D-98’s quarters. She could tell the other woman was still asleep, so she waited. 

There was no structure to the hours she would work. Her day would revolve around D-98’s, and whatever tasks she was doing during the day or night. She hoped that D-98 kept a schedule, but figured acclimating to whatever D-98’s routine was wouldn’t be too hard.  _ Fingers crossed _ .

“If you want in, then you need to knock.” A gentle voice said while walking down the hall. A pair of stormtroopers walked towards her, their helmets resting under their arms as they walked along.

“Keep moving.” SN-10 shot back, but almost immediately regretted it. 

Both men started, but otherwise said nothing else and continued on their way, their faces saying the things they didn’t voice.

She couldn't care less if the stormtroopers didn't like her, or if they thought she was cold or a bitch. It meant they’d avoid her when they saw her coming, but that meant they’d also avoid D-98 since they’d almost always be together. It wasn’t that bad of a thing, to make sure no one even attempted to cross their path, but she didn't want to alienate D-98 in that way.  _ Alright, so you’ll need to just be quiet. That’s not hard to do. _

“Oh! I thought you’d still be with Kylo.” D-98 opened her door to a disgruntled SN-10, but she quickly collected herself.

“No, miss. Ready for breakfast?” 

“Always.”

\--

Later that night, when D-98 requested she turn in early, SN-10 found herself with her first bit of free time. It wasn’t late, and she was technically dismissed unless summoned. Her mind wandered to what she could do with her free time now: organize her quarters? No, she wasn’t very messy so there was nothing to clean. Take a nap? No… she’d be awake all night and compromised in the morning.  _ Hm _ . 

SN-10 made her way to the lift and pressed the code to get her to the right sector, where the Knight’s quarters were. She’d spent no time with them, and if she’d be working alongside them, then she figured she should at least acquaint herself with them.  _ Now’s as good a time as any to get to know them better _ , she thought as she walked to the door to their common area, entering when the door hissed open to a room full of towering men. 

The conversation immediately stopped and some of them made to stand, probably assuming it was their master entering. When their eyes landed on her they froze, as if she was a predator-or, more accurately, as if she was the prey entering the hunter’s den. 

“Hey.” She greeted them and then sunk into the lounge sofa that was placed in the room, body slumping back into the cushions as she relaxed. The feeling was short-lived as she felt the eyes of the knights on her and looked to them after a few moments of silence. “What?”

“What are you doing?” Shiro asked, one brow perked up like he was truly perplexed. Maybe angry, though SN couldn’t tell the difference with him.

“Sitting.” She answered.

“Why?” Shiro’s voice pitched up, the general feeling of incredulity hitting SN-10 in the face like a cold splash of water.

“Because I was dismissed for the evening and have free time.”

“Why  _ here _ ?” He clarified, voice tight.

“I-” She sucked in a breath and realized her mistake. “I see.” SN-10 slowly stood and nodded to the group of men before making her way towards the door. 

“Wait,” the boyish one said, who was named Zakra- if she remembered correctly. “You can sit with us, if you’d like. There’s room for you.”

SN halted in her exit and looked him up and down, then let her gaze drift across all of them. The bigger, bearded one was lounging across from her in a chair too small for him, his lips turned up in arrogant amusement. A different expression, yet still conveying the same sense of rejection, Shiro's eyes were locked on her like a hawk- almost like he was offended she was even  _ breathing.  _ Zakra was watching her with kind eyes yet nervous hands, not unsimilar to D-98. His twin looked grim, but nowhere near as friendly as the two dark haired Knights burning a hole through her face. 

_ Well, I guess that’s a no.  _ SN sighed, throwing Zakra a reserved smile and a ‘thanks, but no thanks,” before continuing her journey back through the doors.

There really should have been more thought to her coming, she knew that now. The Knights were a unit, a team, one that she would be working alongside, but not  _ with _ . In truth, they were a band of brothers that she was not a member of and that was the bare reality of it. She didn’t feel anger or bitterness at the situation, but felt the pang of loneliness hit her when the lift took her back down to her own floor and to her own quarters. 

Back at the royal palace the handmaidens would hum their private songs around her, the kitchen staff slipped her extra snacks when she was working long days and into the night, and the footmen would give her mischievous winks as they hurried after the royal family and their guests. Here all she had was D-98’s vibrant voice to calm her into a quiet trance, and that would be enough. She would  _ make _ it enough. 

Sure, she would still talk to her brother every once in a while, would still pass a few words here and there between whomever she bumped into on the Finalizer once she got to know the place, but otherwise she’d be grateful for having D-98 to look after and nothing more. Friends were a luxury she couldn’t afford, anyway. 

She’d be happy just watching D-98 work. 

So she took the next few days to really get to know D-98 as well as the finalizer. The Supreme Leader, Kylo, as D-98 always called him, had given strict instructions to stick to D-98 like sand on a bantha while he was away on a mission. He’d been vague and cryptic about the mission he was departing on, but SN had heard him give a few instructions to his knights as she walked away with her own orders. She’d picked up something about Vardos, something about a fast in-and-out something-or-other, she wasn’t really interested in what the mission was about, but wondered if D-98 knew anything about it. In the end she decided not to ask, her focus being on D-98 and her schedule. 

As it turned out, D-98 was pretty important. 

Whenever messages came in from other species that could not be deciphered via droid or holo-translator, it was up to D-98 to interpret. Any time dignitaries or politicians of other species visited the Finalizer and did not bring an interpreter of their own (and a droid was seen as rude due to cultural differences), then D-98 had to be present to help with any discussions. She was also in charge of translating information, when the need presented itself. 

SN-10 couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride at her new charge. The woman was a force to be reckoned with, and SN-10 was secretly beaming at the prospect of watching her move up in her career within the First Order.

About a week after first stepping foot on the massive battlecruiser, SN found herself fitting into her routine. She would wake up, get dressed-in a new wardrobe that the Supreme Leader approved of himself-pick up D-98 for breakfast, and then be off on whatever daily tasks D-98 had lined up. Sometimes they would work out, sometimes they would mill around and visit with Kip, the stormtrooper D-98 had mentioned to her before, and sometimes they would spend hours in the library deck so D-98 could look up languages and dialects for translating.

Today had been a good, quiet day of reading, one SN enjoyed and was still enjoying as she had the night to herself. She stretched after her shower and looked to her datapad. It had been about a week since she’d spoken to her brother and she figured now was as good a time as any to catch up again. If he was awake. 

The datapad chirped in her hand for a second before the screen turned on, revealing an empty space where her brother usually was. “Qae?” she asked, and could hear him shuffling around out of frame. 

“Hey, Guard Dog! What-woah! Are you on the Finalizer?!” Qae-lin, her younger brother, suddenly shot into view, dark eyes widening as he tried to peep her surroundings through the holo-feed.

“Yeah, my quarters… How are you?” 

“Shut the fuck up, how are  _ you _ ?! Tell me everything!” He set down whatever he was doing off-screen and leaned into frame, curly hair bouncing as he wiggled back and forth and waited for her to speak. 

They ended up talking for a good two hours. SN-10 had no idea she could talk so much...

“She’s so smart, Qae, and pretty. I think she’s younger than me, but I haven’t asked.” She gushed. 

In the time it took SN to detail everything about D-98 to her brother, he had gotten up, brushed his teeth, washed his face, did his hair, and SN-10 ate some cheese.

“You sound like you like her a lot - way more than Princess Jojowhatever...” Qae-Lin mused, judgmental as ever. 

“The princess was fine, we just never talked.” 

“You mean,  _ you _ never talked. I’m sure the princess tried to make nice, she’s not a demon… Anyway, I have to go, Sen; Filip should be here any minute…” He said and then walked out of frame, his voice carrying away.

“Who’s Filip?” SN-10 looked at her datapad as if she could conjure her brother’s face there again. 

“He’s the Riot Trooper I told you about. Remember? Tall, dark, handsome - the one who could throw me over his shoulder and-”

“Yeah-yes-okay! I remember.”

“Can this woman-D-98-throw you over her shoulder or are you going to be the one carrying her away?”

“It’s not like that, Qae, she’s my charge. I would never do something so reckless.” 

“I mean I guess? But you’re also the most reckless person I know and I know a lot of people, Sen.” 

“I’m not haphazardly reckless, then. And I am not as reckless as you’re making me sound.” 

“You just waxed poetic about a woman you’ve known for a week. You don’t wax poetic about anything, not people, not flowers, not the sunset, or anything.”

SN huffed, “I think she’s a good person. I don’t feel that way for her, but I feel like… I feel like she could be a friend or something.”

“You and having a real friend?” Qae shot her a look, brows shooting up his forehead as he stared at her through the holo-feed.

She quickly changed the subject. “His name is Filip?” SN-10 went back to peeling back strings of cheese to munch on.

Qae knew the drill by now. “Well, it’s his nickname, you know how these troopers can be… His serial is FL-1973, so I guess the others call him Fil, or Filip since his number kind of looks like a ‘P’. I don’t know, I don’t make the rules.” His face suddenly appeared and she could tell he’d changed his clothes into something dark and expensive. 

“Alright, well, have fun getting thrown over his shoulder or whatever. I’ll talk to you later, Qae.”

“Okay, and hey, Sen,” a beat, “I’m glad that you’re happy. You sound happy.” 

SN blinked at his blurry face through the call, lips quirking into a tiny smile. “Yeah.”

There was a sound in the background of Qae’s room, “Gotta go! He’s here!” and he hung up the call.

SN’s quarters filled with silence, eerily too quiet for her liking, so she sat back and hummed an old song her mother used to sing to her and her brother. She knew that Qae wasn’t far off about her being happy; she hadn’t thought of that song in a long time. It reminded her of simpler times, of being young and carefree and genuinely content. It reminded her of D-98’s small smiles and bright eyes. 

She washed her plate and brushed her teeth, eyes staring at herself in the mirror. It felt like eons had gone by, but it had only been a few days at most. She’d been looking at herself in a mirror for over a decade, bored and with an unremarkable life destined for nothing. Now she was protecting the most important woman in the galaxy, if the way she was cared for was any indication. It felt good, to have this purpose, and it felt right.  _ I’m glad, too, _ she thought as she turned off her lights and crawled into bed, the feeling of ‘home’ slowly starting to creep into her bones.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank you all for being so open and welcoming to this story and to SN. Seeing you all excited for her story within the Fixated universe really warms my own cold, dead heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I really hope you enjoyed meeting SN-10.


End file.
